True to her word Lacy made sure Miranda was too busy to think about not being with Leland. After taking her from Leland, Lacy led her down to her own rooms and started fitting her with her mating dress. It wasn't white like she thought it was going to be. But a pale baby blue that Lacy stressed would bring out her skin coloring and make her seem more like she would be glowing.
"Trust me," Lacy said as she turned Miranda to the mirror. "Leland will love you in this."
Miranda looked and just as Lacy said, it seemed the dress floated around her body. Her curves that she normally would hate to look at made the dress look more angelic. As she stood staring at herself Carol and Grace walked in.
"Wow," Carol said and stepped up behind Miranda. "I was right. Leland might not be able to wait for you to walk to him. You look so beautiful Miranda."
Tears started in Miranda's eyes and slowly moved down her cheeks. She never felt like she was beautiful, even after these last few days with Leland. Yes she felt loved and cherished now, she knew Leland thought of her as beautiful, but she hadn't thought of herself that way and never really believed she could see herself this way. But here she was, looking into the mirror and seeing someone she didn't know existed.
"Oh Miranda," Grace said and took her to a chair. Then she cuddled her. "What is it?"
"How did this all happen?" Miranda said as she burrowed into Grace's shoulder. "How is it possible that I am only hours away from mating and finding you all, and mostly how did I become that beautiful woman in the mirror? She wasn't there just a week ago."
Concerned Lacy and Carol came over to help, just touching and reassuring her.
"You are beautiful Miranda," Lacy told her. "You always were. You just didn't see it. What you were going through clouded the way you see yourself. I'm so happy you can now see who you really are."
Miranda turned her watery gaze to Lacy and smiled. "Thank you for being here for me," she looked at each of her new friends, "All of you."
They wrapped her up in a protective hug between them and showed her how much they supported her.
"Now let's get you prepared Miranda," Carol said and had her stand with her, wiping away her own tears of joy.
Together they walked Miranda through what she needed to know. Going step by step until she felt she could do the entire mating writes in her sleep. As the night wore on she began to tire. Seeing this Lacy took her to her guest bed and had her lay down. Within minutes Miranda was sound asleep and her dreams were filled with loving Leland and seeing her children playing.
Leland tossed and turned in what he now thought of as their bed. She wasn't here and his wolf was agitated that he was alone and their mate was still so close. The thought of it made him want to sneak out and go to Lacy's rooms. But he and Miranda had agreed not to see each other until the time was right. Control over your wolf was the most important life rule. Without that control her wolf could inadvertently alert the humans of their existence.
No it was better this way; he trusted his alphas to know what was best for them. But that didn't mean he couldn't still want her with him, need her touch as they slept together. Soon; he reminded himself, it would all be worth it.
Now all he had to do was to get some sleep so that he could be at his best for Miranda. With that thought he turned and closed his eyes. Once sound asleep he began to dream of his loving Miranda and watching their pups play.
Miranda was coaxed awake by Carol, her hand gently petting her hair as she whispered to her.
"Miranda," she said as she continued to try and wake her gently. "Honey it's time to start getting you ready."
"What?" Miranda asked groggily. She couldn't remember ever being this unaware before. "What time is it?"
"Just after five in the afternoon," Carol said.
Miranda bolted up in the bed. "How could it be five? I just went to sleep a minute ago." She twisted to look at the bedside clock. Just as Carol had said it was after five in the afternoon. The sun was beginning to set when she looked at the window. "Why did I sleep for nearly thirteen hours?"
Carol's face turned a little guilty, "The pack doctor had us slip you a sleeping pill last night." Though she knew Miranda may be angry she couldn't tell a lie either.
"What?" Miranda screamed, "How dare he; what did the alphas have to say about this?" But of course she knew that answer to that. Her wolf was posing a threat to her sanity. But still damn it, she had the right to know before the decision was made for her didn't she?
Carol seeing that Miranda was becoming even angrier she sent a message out to the alpha bitch.
Miranda jumped out of bed and grabbed her clothes. She would just have a word with the doctor herself. Drugging her was unacceptable.
"That's not a wise choice Miranda," Junice said as she stepped in the room.
"He had no right to make that choice for me. I should have been asked first."
"Yes," Junice agreed, "But then your wolf would have seen to it that you would not have been able to feel the effects of the drug had you chosen to take it. She would have suppressed it knowing that you would be weak for it. Then during the mating rites she would have the upper hand. Your wolf, as we are beginning to understand, wants to be the dominant personality. You have to be stronger than her in order to keep control. To be stronger you needed your sleep."
It was a simple solution that she would have overlooked herself. By sleeping as long as she did Miranda felt re-energized and alert. She would be stronger, and she would win the right to be with Leland.
Squaring her shoulders Miranda stood straight and looked Junice in the eyes, "I am going to win this fight over my wolf, and Leland and I will mate tonight." The light of her resolve shone brightly in her own eyes.
Carol smiled and Junice nodded.
"Now let's get you dressed and your hair done," Carol said and led her out of the room.
Two hours later as the moon slowly rose to its zenith Leland paced by the mating alter. He hadn't been able sense her all day, and he had become increasingly agitated by it to the point that, despite her friends telling him she was alright and sleeping, he headed down to Lacy's rooms. He was cut off by Alpha Draven half way down the hall and then he was told of her being drugged to sleep deeply. And that was why he couldn't sense her. The reasons were all the more reasonable to him once he calmed down enough to hear them.
